Hi - I will be visiting Oahu the last week of September. I have all the "sightseeing" items booked, now I am looking into restaurants and nightlife.

There will be two of us, both single females in our 20's/30's...looking for nice, but casual, restaurants, in Waikiki and North Shore area. Also need one or two "dressier" dining ideas for treating ourselves..LOL

The problem is I would like to try a bit of the regional cuisine, whereas my travel mate is not very adventurous..prefering to stick to the basics. Any restaurants with enough variety to offer both? Steakhouses and Italian are also always a good idea for her.

Also looking to spend some nights on the town in Waikiki, in both casual spots to relax and listen to music and also more upscale lounge type places where we can dress up a bit more.

All ideas are welcome...thanks.

When I have friends in town we go to-

*Pyramids- greek food with bellydancing
*Forget the new name... the place on the top of the Ala Moana hotel for dinner and dancing.
*Haleiwa Joe's in Kaneohe
*Duke's breakfast
*Forgetting this name too.... the sandwich shop in Haleiwa
*Pizza Bob's
*drinks at the Turtle Bay Hilton
*Zanzibar (spelling?) for dancing

.... got many more but will have to look them up when I get home.

Hi Elizabeth,

Where are you girls staying at?

In Waikiki, I would recommend Dukes for a drink and also casual dinner.

If you want a dressier club, W at the W Hotel is very hopping on Friday nights. It's a nice quiet place for a drink for the rest of the week.

For regional cuisine, you can try Sam Choy, Alan Wong or 3660. These are "dressier".

Jameson's by the Sea at Haleiwa North Shore is a good dining place across the Haleiwa Beach.

Have fun!

Thanks so much for the info......

In response to galetta's question, we are staying part of the trip at the Sheraton Surfrider and the other part at the Halekulani.

Thanks to both of you for all the ideas.....they are very helpful.

I was wondering about the W hotel lounge, thought it would be nice to go, but not sure I want to fight the crowds. I will go during the week then......thanks.

The House without a Key bar in the Halkulani is great. We just dropped by for some cocktails and a nice dinner and really enjoyed the music and the view. The food was tasty and the drinks were reasonably priced. In the North Shore, Jameson's is nice, especially at Sunset. It's probably the only "dressy" place there. But nightlife on the North Shore is limited to Haleiwa Joe's and some other restaurant/bars.

Those are both very nice hotels!

At the Halekulani, the outside bar is casual and have Hawaiian music.

Orchids at Halekulani can be one of your choices for dressy restaurants. Nice to have breakfast or lunch there as you have a fabulous oceanview. Night time is also fantastic place for dinner. I also like La Mer, which is probably like the most expensive French restaurant on the island.

A nice drink at the Sheraton Moana is a good choice also. They have entertainment (I think either live Hawaiian music or piano, depends on the night).

Dukes is within the same block at Moana Surfrider.

You know, when you said "steakhouse" I thought immediately of Hy's Steak House, which is on Kuhio Avenue (toward the Diamond Head end). I have never had a bad meal there. The only thing is, there is no view!

For a splurge, you could go to the Hanohano Room at the top of the Sheraton Waikiki (maybe go for brunch, then you can see everything in daylight!). The view is outrageous and you can get a good range of food. Same for Aaron's, which is at the top of the Ala Moana Hotel. If you don't mind driving out to Hawaii Kai, Roy's is a good choice for having regional cuisine. He also serves meatloaf for your friend! He's been dubbed "the Wolfgang Puck of the Pacific Rim." I also like Michel's, for a SUPER splurge. I just went there last weekend and we had a beachside table, and it was sooo wonderful!

And you can't miss Buzz's Steakhouse in Kailua which Pres Clinton was always stopping by.

Forgot to mention the Big Island Steakhouse in Aloha Tower. They have you carry a drink menu coconut to the table. Then they have a fun lava desert that they light.

Let me just add that two single girls from the mainland would probably want to avoid any nightlife away from the main tourist areas. Including the few spots on the north shore. The hotel spots would be your safest bet. Then Ward Center.

also for North Shore lunch, local style
really fresh Mexican at Cholo's Haleiwa & I believe Islandmom was thinking of Kama'Aina sandwiches. Really good...
there's a Haleiwa Joe's there too w/
good food & great sunsets. If you drive
past Turtle Bay north you'll find the famous shrimp-plate vans. Beware of the "hot" version.

The sandwich place is called Kua Aina and it is located in Haleiwa and also in the Ward Center area in town. For shave ice on the North Shore, my friends & I go to Aoki's, which is down the street from Matsumoto's. It is actually better at Aoki's, but Matsumoto's got all the PR!

Restaurant Row (500 Ala Moana Boulevard) has some good eating places, like Sansei (for sushi), Sunset Grill, and Payao Thai (except your friend is not adventurous, right). Then you can go for drinks and dancing at Ocean Club, which is supposedly really happening on Tuesday nights.

Aloha Tower is also good....Big Island Steak House, Don Ho's, Gordon Bierch, Chai's, and Kapono's all feature live music (not sure if it is every night, but pretty close).

My old boss owns Zanzabar in Waikiki. There is another club in the same building called The Maze, and I think a lot of people go back & forth between the 2 clubs. I agree that the W is dressier. Go before 9 PM to avoid cover charge and grab a place to sit!

oops...mahalo Mellisa. Kua Aina it is!

Which of the Moana hotels is the original one, back when there was just it and the Royal Hawaiian?

Carolyn - the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel is the first hotel that was built on Waikiki. It has been restored and is beautiful. They offer a free historical tour Mon/Wed/Fri at 11 am & 5 pm - it's a good tour if you have the time - it takes about an hour & a half. Be sure to have at least one cocktail at the beachside bar out under the banyon tree - my favorites were the "Lava Flow" (with strawberries) and "A Day At The Beach" - yummmmm.
Have a wonderful trip!